Sports

36th Kirkvine meet launched

The 36th JAAA' Puma/Fuller/Anderson Development meet was launched on Tuesday at Golf View Hotel in Mandeville.

Chairman of the organising committee, Maurice Wilson spoke about the benefits of competing on the best grass track in the island. Chief among them, according to Wilson, is the reduction of injury, especially in the early part of the season.

Wilson also announced the establishment of a two-year scholarship tenable at G C Foster College in honour of founders, the late Charlie Fuller and Pat Anderson. Wilson said, “We have also decided to provide a scholarship of $150,000 to that athlete who is willing to continue the legacy of coaching and assisting in taking care and preparing athletes, and the scholarship is tenable at G C Foster College.”

Wilson also announced that the four honourees are Reginald Reece (event starter), Dave Anderson (coach), the late Devon Clarke (an official who worked at the meet for many years), and the Jamaica Olympic Association

The meet director Jerry Holness announced that two events have been dropped to ensure the meet ends on time, as well as to allow for all the events to be completed on the day. He said, “Over the years we have been having challenges with the meet completing on time and of course we are dealing with the majority of the athletes participating being youngsters. We want to finish on time and get the youngsters off the road (early). The 1500m, as you know, is very time-consuming, also the 4x8. We have not been getting enough entries in the 4x8 for the past three years so the committee decided to give that a break for this year and see what happens in the future.”

Holness said that the events for this year will be the 200m (all classes), 400m (all classes), 3000m for females and the 5000m for males. The meet will begin with the 200m at 9:00 am.

Megan Wilson-Copeland, who coaches many middle distance athletes, said, “I am kind of disappointed with the 1500m not being a part of the events at Kirkvine.” According to the Spalding coach, “my team will come out in full flight and all of them will be participating, since this is the meet that we are going to use to prepare them for the up coming Champs”.

Olive Fuller, widow of the meet's co-founder, the late Charlie Fuller, was very pleased that the meet carries her husband's name. She said that “he had a passion for sports. It was first in his life. I feel second to it. I was very happy when the organisers decided to honour his name because he loved sports so much, especially track and field”.

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